Visit the UK’s leading indoor agricultural event, with eleven packed halls of the very latest in agricultural machinery and equipment. Now at the NEC, Birmingham this is free to attend and free to park.

The increased input costs were driven by rising fuel costs but inflation increased across most sectors including animal feed and medicine, seed and labour costs. Only agrochemicals saw deflation, at 0.28 per cent.

AF chief executive, Jon Duffy, said: “Fuel is clearly driving the increase in the AF AgInflation Index with the 4.06 per cent increase in inflation between September last year and February this year.”

Oil price

Brent crude oil has increased from $46 per barrel to $54 per barrel coupled with the devaluation of the pound against the dollar.